Thursday, October 28, 2010

Focus on Excellence

My friend Mike has the most incredible focus. Mike is single-minded in his approach to learning and so enthusiastic about his studies that I cannot help but be drawn in. The fact that his primary subject is President Kennedy adds to the fascination.

Fifty years ago next month, Democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy faced Republican candidate Richard M. Nixon in the first televised presidential debate in U.S. history. Radio listeners may have thought the debate a draw, but on TV, cool-headed JFK was the clear winner over the frazzled, sweating, five-o-clock-shadowed Nixon. This event forever changed the way politics is viewed in the media and certainly helped Kennedy win the November 8, 1960, election over Nixon.

Though he was in office for but a short time, President Kennedy's most valuable asset was his ability to speak to the citizens of the U.S. (with the help of brilliant speechwriter Ted Sorenson) to convey the importance of diplomacy, the arts, and justice in our world.

Which brings me back to the subject of excellence. My friend Mike is honing his JFK show in every spare moment, constantly striving to be the best he can be, both physically and in his knowledge of the life and times of JFK. He's brilliant at performing the magnificent speeches of JFK, conveying the emotion and careful crafting of every phrase. For Mike, excellence is an imperative.